Street Food Quickie: Bacon Cheeseburger at The Local Omnivore

I LOVE a good burger. So much so that I don’t want eat them more than once every month or two for fear that I’ll get tired of them! So when I DO actually eat a burger, I want it to be DAMN GOOD. Enter the newest food truck to hit Vancouver, The Local Omnivore.

The Local Omnivore used to be based in Edmonton, but one of their friends/associates bought the truck off them and drove it down to Vancouver where they’ll (hopefully) stay here and keep going throughout the winter until spring. They don’t have any regular location or schedule, so keep tabs on them through their Twitter or Instagram accounts.

Speaking of Instagram, famed local photographer/foodie Alison Page posted a couple mouth-watering photos of their burgers on Instagram, so I had to check them out when I saw that they would be at the ICONS Vintage Clothing Market at the Biltmore Cabaret.

So they drove this thing all the way from Edmonton? Reminds me of a Canadian version of Chef The Movie…but substitute bacon cheeseburgers for cubanos.

They currently get their beef from Harkness & Co. Butchers on Broadway. Freshly ground, so the patty tasted really fresh and beefy. Cooked so it’s still pink ‘n juicy inside. Loved the smoky and slighty crunchy bits of char on the patty. Their housemade bacon has a good balance of smoke and salt. It’s not a salty bacon, so you can taste a bit more of the natural bacon flavour coming through. I loved the cook on the bacon — crispy enough but also preserving some of the chew of the bacon, so you get the best of both bacon worlds. The bun is great. Just a basic white bun, almost baguette-like with the way they toast it up. Not too much crustiness from the toasting, the crumb is soft and pliable, and holds the burger together without getting in the way. This is a damn good traditional, straight-up burger.

One minor niggly: I could use a smidge more salt on the patty. I almost did a foodie asshole move and pulled out my Maldon salt tin, but I rode it au naturel and appreciated the flavours as-is. I got one to go and Wicca agreed, a bit more salt would help kick up the latent flavours just a bit more. I wouldn’t want them to work salt into the ground meat itself, just maybe a bit more seasoning on the patty as it cooks on the grill. Regardless, this is the best burger I’ve had on the street, and I’d be plenty happy to receive a burger like this in a sit-down restaurant.

One thought on “Street Food Quickie: Bacon Cheeseburger at The Local Omnivore”

I had the same experience at Brassneck with their burger. Sought them out subsequently elsewhere and it was a fail: overcooked, rubbery, sad. Consistency seems to be an issue, alas. The cauliflower hot wing sando is a good concept but needs work on the execution from the one time I had it, also at Brassneck

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2 hours agoby dennisthefoodieE C C L E S C A K E S // I like but don't love sweets and pastries, but I do have a massive respect and fascination with this traditional #EcclesCake by #BlackberryHill at @vanmarkets . ("Eccles" rhymes with "heckles". I might love this mostly cuz I like the way "eccles cakes" rolls off the tongue.) Sweet currant filling and a sturdy flaky crusty pastry covered with sugar crystals, which reminds me of the best possible version of an 80s McDonald's apple pie. That kind of crust. Everything that Blackberry Hill makes is full of rustic charm. It's what

2 days agoby dennisthefoodieG I N J A N I N J A // A sparkly, zingy #GingerBeer by @dickiesginger at Riley Park @vanmarkets this morning. Thanks Stephen for the chat! Nong's Khao Man Gai is my fave chicken rice in the PNW, although it's a Thai take on HCR. That place at Aberdeen is Cafe D'Lite Express. If I find a great Hainanese chicken rice here, I'll be sure to post about it! It's about ALL the elements firing on all cylinders! #ginger#dickiesginger#yvr#vancouver